Sunday, June 3, 2012

What Comes After But....

But is a small word endowed with great power. Many have given it a poor name, mostly because buts are often sandwiched between admissions of truth and excuses. For example, "I know the jell-o was for everyone, but the devil made me eat it all." I will agree that the famous truth-but-excuse sentence structure is out of style, but I want to talk about the truth-but-truth sentence structure. That one is worth a second look. You can learn a great deal about a person and their outlook by what they choose to say after but.
For example, a larger person who often jumps rope could say, "I jump rope often, but I'm fat."
However he or she could also say, "I'm fat, but I jump rope often."
There is something to be admired in the second option. It's an admission of being fat, but seems to focus on jumping rope. There is a sense of optimism and confidence in it. Because the jumping rope is mentioned second it seems to hint at the possibility of changing the first admission. By jumping rope one can loose weight and no longer be fat. However, the first sentence concedes the truth that he jumps rope, but seems to disparagingly admit that he is fat despite the exercise.
Let's do the same exercise with the first example. Instead of saying "I know the jell-o was for everyone, but the devil made me eat it all," one could say, "the devil made me eat it all, but I know the jell-o was for everyone." The second option again seems much more appropriate. There seems to be an understanding of the poor behavior, rather than an attempt to justify the behavior.
I'm single, but I love.
I can't write, but I do.
I don't win, but I will.
I am poor, but I work.
I am weak, but I run.
Life is hard, but it's fun.


4 comments:

  1. So true. You are silly, but awesome.

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  2. I think the latter is justifying not changing the preceding statement. "I'm single, but I love", sounds like a pervert using it as a pick-up line, knowing he does not love anything but being single.
    "I can't write, but I do" is the dumbest thing you have ever written; you might as well say, I know I write lousy and I intend on doing nothing about it, because it is more heroic (and harder) that way.
    "I don't win, but I will" is what losers say when their wife wants to know why they need to spend money on a golf tournament that if you shot 20 under your normal round you would still not get in the top ten.
    "I am poor, but I work"… well you got me there. That is the difference between a citizen of their country, and a cancerous leach.
    "I am weak, but I run" sounds like the anthem of cowards anonymous.
    "Life is hard, but it is fun" sounds like a clueless fool. It is beater to see it as "Every day hurts, but the last day kills". Now there is a truth-truth statement if I have ever heard one, and it brings a smile to everyone’s face.

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    Replies
    1. Haha you are ridiculous, but the one about being single is kind of weird. I wrote it all in the moment, so things happen. My writing is the close companion of modern abstract art; it isn't suppose to make much sense but for some unknown reason should still be viewed as something ingenious.

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  3. You two are crazy, but you should do it together on the same blog.

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